hemming



O. L. HEMMING.

KNIFE BLADE HARDENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-2B. IBIS.

Patented May 6, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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mrnnmnnmmnnmNe nnvrcn To all whom, it mayv concern:

' Be it known-that I, G'r'ro;

new and useful Improvements in Knife- Blade-Hardening Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to devices of the character adapted for temporarily holding small articles while being subjected to heat and the cooling bath. The holder I have in view is specially adapted for firmly holding a quantity of pocket knife blades in combination with a device for placing the holder in the heating furnace and discharging the blades in the cooling bath.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which fully illustrate my invention:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the holder in the grip of the conveyer;

Fig. 2 is an upper plan view of the holder showing a series of knife blades therein;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the holder;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the holder;

Fig. 5- is a detail view of the spring retaining bar; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken detail view partly in section of the spring holding bar showing modified means for protecting the springs from the heat.

1 represents the base plate, 2 side standards projecting therefrom, and 3 a series of blade retaining fingers located between said standards and j ournaled on the pin 4. 5 is a bar secured to the base plate and located in the rear of the standards 2 having, Fig. 5, the holes 6 in which are located'the springs 7, Figs. 1 and 3, adapted to contact with the underside of the fingers 3.

8 is a blade locating bar secured to the front end of the base plate having the narrow slots 9 in which are located the tangs 10 of the blades 11 and are temporarily retained therein by the spring actuated fingers 3.

12 is a bafile plate overlying the rear portion of the blade retaining fingers and is secured to the outer fingers of the series of fingers by the screws 13. In heating the blades the forward portion of the holder must necessarily be inserted in the mouth of the furnace-not shownin order to subject the entire surface of the blades to a uniform Specification of Letters Patent. 1

VHEMDQLING, citizeniof the'UnitediStates, residing at New: Haven, in the county of .New- Haven. and: K State of connecticut, have invented certain heat, The. object of the bafiie plate is: to.

protect the underlying springs? from direct contact. with. the flame darting from the fur nace; mouth. I4 is, a. transverse bar secured tothebaflie plate by. screws 15. In placeof the baffle plate, the caps 12 Fig..6,.ccould inclose the. spring and engage the fingers, and rise and fall by the expansion and coinfpressio'nof thesprings: l

is adapted to have an independent movement thereon.

After the blades have been properly heated, the holder is removed from the furnace by means of the conveyer and plunged into a cooling bath -not shown-after which the lever 19 is brought against the bar 14 to tilt the fingers and permit the hardened blades to drop out.

The holder can be refilled with blades while still within the grip of the conveyer, but in order to facilitate the hardening process, I prefer to employ a number of holders refilled by a special operator, so that several plates can be in the heating furnace in different stages of heat and thus provide continuous and uninterrupted employment for the operator doing the hardening.

The holder can be made of any desired size capable of being readily handled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the character described for hardening a plurality of knife blades comprising a holder having a base, a support having slots therein to receive the tangs of the blades, and a plurality of spring actuated fingers pivotally supported on the base and overlying the slots to automatically maintain the blades in said slots.

2. A device of the character described, for hardening a plurality of knife blades in a furnace, comprising a holder having a base, a support having slots therein to receive the tangs of the blades, pivotally supported Patented. Maya-1.91.9:

Applicationfiledhugust.28, 19185. Serial No. 251.748. I

blade retaining fingers overlying the slots, springs actuating the fingers to close upon 7,

the tangs, and means for protecting the springs from the furnace heat. a

3. A device of the character described for hardening a plurality of knife blades comprising a holder having a base, a support having slots therein to receive the tangs of the blades, spring actuated and pivotally supported blade retaining fingers overlying the slots, and a triple lever conveyer, two of said levers adapted to engage the base with the third lever overlying the fingers in readiness to tilt the fingers andrelease the blades. 4. A device of the character described for hardening a plurality of knife blades comcoples of this patent may be obtained for prising holder having a base, a support having slots to receive the tangs of the blades, pivotally supported blade retaining fingers overlyingsthe slots, springs engaging the underside of the fingers and in rear of the pivotal point of said fingers, a bafiie plate overlying the fingers to protect them from undue heat, and a triple-lever holderconveyer, two of said levers engaging the base of the holder with the third lever overlying the fingers, in rear of their pivotal point, in readiness to tilt said fingers and release the blades.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

otr'ro L. HEMMING.

nve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents; Washington, D. 0. I 

